Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans Sunday to reduce the number of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport over the coming weeks in response to ongoing radar outages and a nationwide air traffic controller shortage. The cutbacks aim to ease persistent delays and cancellations at one of the busiest airports in the country.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Duffy said he will meet with airlines operating out of Newark this week to finalize how many flights will be cut and when. He indicated a heavier reduction will occur during afternoon hours when international arrivals create peak congestion.
“We want to have a number of flights that if you book your flight, you know it’s going to fly,” Duffy said. “That is the priority. So you don’t get to the airport, wait four hours, and then get delayed.”
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that radar at a Philadelphia-area facility responsible for directing Newark flights failed for 90 seconds early Friday morning, marking a repeat of a similar incident on April 28. Since mid-April, Newark has averaged 34 arrival cancellations per day, with delays worsening by the afternoon and lasting between 85 and 137 minutes.
To address the underlying causes, the Trump administration announced a multibillion-dollar modernization effort Thursday. The plan includes six new air traffic control centers and major upgrades to technology and communication systems across the U.S. air traffic network, with implementation targeted over the next three to four years.
Duffy also announced plans to raise the mandatory retirement age for air traffic controllers from 56 to 61, along with a 20% upfront retention bonus to stem the loss of experienced personnel. The U.S. currently faces a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers.
“These are not overnight fixes,” Duffy said. “But as we go up — one, two years, older guys on the job, younger guys coming in — we can make up that 3,000-person difference.”
